


Heart of the Forge

by Gray Shadows (the_afterlight)



Category: Emelan - Tamora Pierce
Genre: F/F, Gen, Second Chances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 10:32:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13052223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_afterlight/pseuds/Gray%20Shadows
Summary: It's a typical morning at 6 Cheeseman St. until an unexpected visitor brings up memories for Daja that she thought she'd left behind in Namorn, and the chance for a future she'd long thought out of reach.





	Heart of the Forge

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Artifactrix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artifactrix/gifts).



12th of Blood Moon, 1044 KF  
6 Cheeseman St, Summersea

Daja stretched as she walked into her smithy, smiling fondly at the forge as she let a trickle of fire float across the room and ignite the waiting pile of lumber. There was a chill in the air, and Daja stood over the fire as it grew, letting it fill her with its warmth before a whisper of magic spread that warmth out and through the house behind her. _Tris?_ she called out silently, trying to keep her voice 'narrow' so as not to disturb their brother and sister -- Tris, she knew, would be up and baking for the day, while Briar tended to wake up considerably later than either of them, and Sandry, across the city in the duke's citadel, would either be still asleep or hard at work and didn't need the distraction.

_What?_ Tris replied, her voice short and clipped. _I'm busy._

Daja rolled her eyes and started pulling copper ingots from a bin near the door, dropping them into a stone basin. _I was going to ask if you needed a little extra warmth for the kitchen. Bread rising okay? I know you're dealing with that draft..._ She dropped the basin near the hearth and stoked the fires; it would be a while before the forge was properly hot enough, but that just meant there was time for breakfast.

_Oh._ Daja can feel Tris mentally adjusting, getting her mind onto the same track as Daja's. _Actually, yes, that would be nice. Thank you. The bread's... mostly fine, but it is a little chilly._

Grinning, Daja let some of the warmth she was gathering up spread down through the bond; she could feel Tris pick up the trickle of magic, and a pleased sigh echoed back. _More where that came from if you need it,_ Daja reminded her. _And let's remind Briar about that draft. He wants to sleep all day, he can put himself to use._

A sleepy, muddle voice joined theirs. _Stuff it, bleatbrain._ Briar's mental voice sounded so perfectly like his real one when he was awoken that Daja had to stifle a chuckle; she still couldn't figure out how his thoughts so perfectly mimicked someone talking around a yawn. _'S not like I wasn't working last night._

From across the city, a giggle echoed through the bond. _Yes, I'm sure that Lady Mirabela was quite fond of your night's 'work',_ Sandry teased, a little pointedly. _What time_ did _you leave the party? She practically had you out of there before the end of the first dance!_

_She did,_ Briar confirmed, _and she definitely enjoyed it. Although not as much as her husband did._

Tris groaned, and Daja shuddered involuntarily, in sympathy with Tris's distaste, despite her own lack of it. _Agh, Briar, ugh. Don't tell me that!_

Daja felt him shrug over the bond. _Sandry started it. Anyway, it is work, and I don't just mean the bedroom stuff. Lady Mirabel has shipping connections in Gansar and Irod, and we're working on a deal for me to get some seedlings brought down. What's the harm if we have a little fun along the way?_

_Breakfast,_ Tris said, firmly, cutting off that line of discussion. Daja just grinned and dusted off her hands before heading to the door back into the main part of the house. _Sandry, shall I set a place for you?_ It wouldn't be the first time that their sister had jaunted down from the duke's citadel to join them over breakfast, although she'd been so busy lately, Daja knew, that the spare time was hard to come by.

_I'd better not,_ Sandry lamented, confirming Daja's conjecture. _There's a Namornese envoy arriving today, and I still have preparations to make. Supper, though? After dealing with Berenene's latest... latest_ cronies _, I expect I'll need the time with you all. Uncle can do without me for one meal._

Daja frowned at the mention of the Namornese envoy, even as she pushed the door open and entered the house's small kitchen. Berenene had... not exactly _forgiven_ them, but their show of power upon leaving Namorn, and the support that Duke Vedris had garnered from some of the other nearby countries, had left her acting conciliatory. Although Daja still doubted the empress's sincerity. _Let us know if you need any help,_ Daja said, smiling gratefully at Tris as she handed Daja a bowl of thick, steaming, fragrantly spiced porridge and a plate with slices of the last of yesterday's bread, toasted and slathered with some of Rosethorn's sweet tomato preserves. Daja carried them through to the dining room before returning to the kitchen to grab the teapot and mugs for herself and Tris.

_Or if a few conveniently-placed lightning bolts are in order,_ Tris added. _I'd like to... Ugh._ Daja saw her roll her eyes before she started dishing out an extra bowl of the porridge. 

"What are you doing?" Daja asked aloud, confused. "Sandry said she's not coming."

"No," Tris agreed, "but we're about to have company. Get the door?"

Daja blinked. "The door-" A knock sounded, followed by a bell as someone tugged on the bellpull by the front door. "I'll get the door," she confirmed, even as Tris stepped into the dining room, balancing both her own dishes and a set of dishes for their apparent guest. Walking through to the entryway, Daja casually opened the door. "Can I help-" she started, before she choked, her breath caught in her throat.

"Hello, Daja." _Bidisa_ Rizuka fa Dalach smiled shyly up at Daja, her breath steaming in the chilly morning air. "It's... It's good to see you. You look well."

Daja barely noticed someone coming up behind her, staring in shock at Rizu; it wasn't until Briar placed a hand on her shoulder that she even realised he was there. "Rizu," he said, flatly, and glancing over, Daja saw that his other hand was flexing at his side, ready to grab for a weapon if necessary. Seeing him ready to defend her like that helped shake Daja out of her shock, and she stepped aside, making room for Rizu to enter the house.

"What are you- I mean, hello," Daja said, still flustered. She didn't know what to think about Rizu just showing up on their doorstep. "Come in. You-- You're looking good."

From the doorway into the dining room, Tris poked her head out into the hallway. "Breakfast is getting cold. _Bidisa_ fa Dalach, you'll be joining us." She peered at them owlishly from behind her spectacles before ducking back into the dining room; Daja could hear her pull her chair out and sit down while the three of them stood, motionless, in the entry.

Finally, Briar shrugged. "Well, I'm famished," he said, jovially, although there was more than a hint of steel underlying the casual tone. "And I bet you had quite the trip, huh, Rizu?" He slapped her none-too-gently on the back before walking past her and into the dining room. "Hey, were's mine?" he asked, and Daja could hear Tris snort.

" _You're_ not a guest," Tris pointed out. "It's in the kitchen." The familiar banter helped calm Daja, a little, and she smiled at Rizu.

"It is good to see you," she said, reaching a hand out. "C'mon, you probably remember. It's better just to do what Tris says."

Rizu smiled back and nodded, taking Daja's hand and following her into the dining room. "I do," she agreed, "and it is. After breakfast, we'll... talk?"

Daja nodded, and let go of Rizu's hand as she stepped to her place at the table. Her dishes were at her usual spot, to Tris's right; Tris sat at the head of the table, and Briar to her left. Tris had set Rizu place to Briar's left, putting some distance between her and Daja, but Daja couldn't find it in her to complain; there were a number of emotions whirling about in her head, and she couldn't sort through them to figure out how she actually felt. A little bit of distance was appreciated.

"So how'd you get down to Emelan?" Briar asked, between bites of the toasted bread. He'd spread some soft goat's cheese on it before adding the tomato jam, Daja saw, and wondered if he'd left any of the cheese for the rest of them. His tone was still casual as he gestured with his toast in Rizu's general direction. "I can't imagine Her Imperial Majesty sent you."

Rizu shook her head before take a bite of the porridge. "No, she did," she said, after swallowing. "Well, not exactly. She needed someone who knows the four of you, or... Who knew you, at least. I accepted because I thought it the safest way to get out of Namorn."

"You came with the envoy," Daja realised. In the back of her head, she could hear Tris and Sandry talking, but she shoved it aside as best she could without shutting herself off from the bond entirely. She had no intentions of doing _that_ ever again. "Are they going to miss you?" 

"No, not yet," Rizu explained. "I have at least a few hours before they start to get suspicious. They're camped not far outside of the city. I was supposed to come to meet you and see if I could still... ingratiate myself." 

"And is that not what you're doing?" Tris asked idly, with more steel in her words than Daja had heard directed at anyone in months. "It's not a bad plan, really. Come ask for our help and work your way back into our good graces." She glanced at Daja and said, _Sorry for this,_ across the bond before adding, "And Daja's bedroom. I assume that was part of it?"

Rizu blanched. "I-- I wouldn't presume," she said, flushing, ducking her head but looking up, through her lashes, at Daja. "I know that I... I could have made a different choice, and I've come to regret the choice I did make. But I did make it, and I'll accept whatever comes of that."

_Sandry's on her way,_ Tris added, for Daja's benefit. _I'm pretty sure you weren't listening to that._ "Would you consent to a truth spell?" she asked Rizu. "You must understand that we have reason to be distrustful of Namorn, no matter who you are or what you say."

Daja looked down and realised that she'd finished her porridge without tasting a single bite. She took a bite of her toast and concentrated on the burst of flavour from Rosethorn's tomato jam, using the sharp, bright, sweet flavour to center herself. "It's okay if you want to say no," Daja said, after swallowing. "It's... I mean, you can say no. I want to believe you, I do. But Tris is right. Too much has happened for us to..." She trailed off, but Rizu was nodding.

"Of course," she said, with a smile for Daja. "I would ask the same thing, were I in your position. Do you need to call for a truthsayer?"

Tris rolled her eyes before adjusting her spectacles. "Please. My teacher is the best truthsayer in the history of Lightsbridge." She tucked her hair behind her ear before dipping her finger into her tea and drawing a quick circle on the table cloth, quartering it and using more tea to sketch a symbol in each section. Placing her palm on it, she casually waved at Rizu with her other hand; to Daja's magical sight, Rizu began to glow faintly. "Whenever you're ready?" Tris said, and Rizu took a deep breath.

"I am Rizu fa Dalach, of the court of Empress Berenene dor Ocmore of Namorn," she began, and the glow not only persisted, a sign that she was telling the truth, but actually strengthened. "I was sent by the empress with a political envoy because she knew I had been close to _Viymese_ Daja Kisubo and her friends, one of whom is _Clehame_ Sandrilene fa Toren, cousin to the empress and likely, if unnamed, heir to Duke Vedris fer Toren of Emelan. I accepted the position because I had been seeking a way out of Namorn, and knew that... That you all, that _Clehame_ Sandrilene, that Daja-- that you might actually help me. I hoped that you would." Rizu swallowed and ducked her head, although she continued to speak clearly. "I have no desire, or intentions, to carry out the instructions given to me by Her Imperial Majesty. I only wanted to leave, before she grew tired of me the way she has so many others. I hoped I might be--" She looked up at Daja, flushing again. "I hoped that I might be running _toward_ something, rather than away, but that is not a choice I can make on my own."

"Works for me," Briar said, shrugging, and he and Daja both turned to Tris, who nodded and released the spell. "So," he continued, "what next?"

Tris shrugged. "Next, we finish eating. Sandry will be here soon enough. We can work out the details then." She gave Daja a pointed look over her glasses as she adjusted them. "It's your turn to do the dishes."

Daja let out a laugh, sharp and tight, but nodded. "I remember," she said, shrugging at Rizu. She shoved her last bite of toast into her mouth and swallowed it; standing, she grabbed her dishes and took them through to the kitchen, placing them in the washtub and pumping water in over them.

She heard a sound behind her, someone coming into the kitchen, and turned to see Rizu, plate and bowl in hand. "Are you finished?" Daja asked, and when Rizu hesitated, then shook her head, Daja realised that she must not have wanted to stay in the dining room alone with Briar and Tris. In Rizu's position, Daja mused, she wouldn't have, either. "Hey, sit at the counter there," she said, nodding towards it, as she finished pumping and stuck her hands into the water, warmth spreading from them and heating it to the point of steaming. As Rizu did, settling in and staring at the toast, Daja added, "It won't bite. Tris's bread is actually pretty good."

"Tris made it?" Rizu asked, confused. "But she's-- but you're all powerful mages. And you're washing dishes. You don't have servants?"

Daja shook her head. "We're none of us used to it," she explained. "You know only Sandry came from noble blood, and all four of us, Sandry included, did our share of chores while we were at Winding Circle. Tris... Tris would have had some of that growing up, her family's pretty well off, but she spent a lot of time with family who..." Daja frowned and changed tracks, not wanting to get into Tris's business. "She learned a lot about keeping house," she said instead. "We make do ourselves, for the most part. It keeps us grounded."

Rizu took a bite of the toast, experimentally, and blinked. "That's -- what _is_ that?" she asked, staring at the preserves spread across the top. "It's not any kind of berry?"

"Tomatoes," Daja said, grinning. It had certainly seemed odd to her as well, the first time Rosethorn had made it for them, but from the first taste she'd been a convert. "One of our teachers makes it. Mostly just for her and Lark -- she doesn't sell her preserves, just her medicines -- but she's started making enough for the rest of us, as well." 

Rizu took another, larger, bite, obviously pleased with the flavour. "It's very good," she said, smiling. "Please pass her my compliments." She finished the slice and passed Daja the plate when Daja held her hand out for it. "This is... This is not what I expected, when I came to find you," she admitted, but when Daja glanced over, looking up from the dishes, there was no judgment on Rizu's face. "But it suits you. You truly wouldn't have been happy to stay, even if Berenene were..."

"If she were nice?" Daja suggested, a little sardonically. "No, I would have been happy. You would have made me happy. But I don't think I would ever have been happy with the rest of it."

"I'm glad for you." Rizu dragged her spoon idly through the dregs of her porridge, staring down at it. "You look... content, here. It isn't what I expected, but it suits you. All of you." She chuckled. "I'm almost surprised not to see _Clehame_ Sandrilene living here with you, as well."

Daja laughed back. "I think sometimes _she'd_ prefer it, too, but she's much happier with her uncle," she said. Placing the scrub brush back on its hook, Daja set the last of the clean dishes onto the drying rack and pulled the plug from the washbasin, just as the sound of the front door opening signaled Sandry's arrival. "C'mon, let's go see what Sandry has to say about all of this." She dried her hands first on a nearby towel, and then with a quick burst of warmth to get the last of the dampness; as the heat faded to normal levels, she reached out, unthinkingly, for Rizu's hand, but rather than letting herself be pulled up, Rizu pulled Daja towards her.

"Are you--" Rizu started. "I mean. Is there anyone?"

Daja sighed, and almost said yes; there had been outings with one or another of the courtiers in the citadel, and she'd spent a few evenings at one tavern or another, sharing stories with a smith or a trader, and even, on one memorable occasion, a Trader. None of it had gone anywhere, though, and she knew she'd been looking for something in them that she hadn't been able to find. "No," she said, after a moment. "Not since you."

Nodding, Rizu, still holding Daja's hand, stood. "I'm sorry to hear that," Rizu said, although there was a soft smile gracing her lips. "Maybe your luck will change soon."

Daja couldn't help but laugh, tugging Rizu's hand until they stood even closer, breath mingling between them. "Maybe it already has," she replied, her free hand coming up to cup Rizu's face. For a moment, it was like they'd never parted, like the kitchen in the house on Cheeseman Street had become Rizu's chambers in the Imperial Palace in Dancruan. She touched her forehead to Rizu's, breathing the other woman in.

The moment passed, and they stepped away from each other, though they were still smiling. "We'll talk," Daja said, and Rizu nodded. "Let's go see Sandry."

Still holding hands, the two walked back through into the dining room.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't think it's as over-the-top at you might have hoped for, Artifactrix, but it was hard to pass up the idea of Rizu making her way to Summersea and reuniting with Daja. :D I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
